Suit match card game

ABSTRACT

A method and system for playing a casino style card game includes a dealer and up to 7 players. The game can be played using physical playing cards or electronically generated playing cards in a computerized gaming system. The game has four segments, a side bet round, a bonus round, an ante round and a match round. The game can be adapted for use with a blackjack game incorporating the aforementioned four segments in addition to a conventional blackjack wager. All winning player hands are paid according to a predetermined pay-table as desired by a casino or operator of the game.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/911,715; filed Dec. 4, 2013, herein incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a card game which is played with eitherphysical standard 52 card decks of cards or electronically. The game canbe played as a stand-alone game or it can be adapted to be played as anaddition to any casino style blackjack game. Advantageously, the game isplayed as a wagering game and preferably played in a casino environment.The game may involve multiple wagers and may include four playingsegments: (1) a side bet round, (2) bonus round, (3) ante round, and a(4) match round. When the game is added to blackjack, the aforementionedfour playing segments are in addition to the blackjack wager.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different wagering games use standard decks of 52 playing cards.These games may involve the individuals playing individually against adealer or against each other. These wagering games can be played usingone or more standard decks of cards. A standard 52 card deck has foursuits (hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades). There are normally 13 cardsin each suit numbered 2-10, plus a Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

These games can be played using actual (i.e. physical) cards orelectronically. Electronic card wagering games can involve a machine,such as a video machine, where an individual is playing against thatmachine, e.g. video poker. In addition, games can be played on acomputer where an individual may access a virtual casino over theInternet and play similar to a video poker machine or play against otherindividuals connected to a virtual casino.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a card game that, for example, isplayed as a casino card game with a dealer and one or more players up toseven total players. The game can be played using physical playing cardsor electronically, e.g. on dedicated computerized gaming machines aswell as on personal computers, smart phones, PDA/tablet computers, etc.,which may be connected to the Internet. The game can also be played asan instant lottery ticket commonly referred to as a scratch off, and asa lottery draw game.

Referring to the casino version, the present game is preferably playedwith four standard fifty two card playing card decks, or with six oreight standard fifty-two card decks when added to casino styleblackjack. The game is divided into four playing segments, (1) a sidebet round, (2) a bonus round, (3) ante round, and (4) a match round. Theblackjack version also has the aforementioned four playing segments, inaddition to the blackjack wager.

In the “stand-alone” (i.e. not incorporated into blackjack), each playerplaces up to four wagers, (1) an ante wager, (2) a match wager, (3) abonus wager and (4) a side bet wager to start the game. The (1) antewager and the (2) match wager are mandatory wagers while the (3) bonuswager and the (4) side bet wager are optional wagers. All four wagersmust be made prior to the start of the game. The dealer pays winninghands at four points of the game, once after the side bet round, afterthe bonus round, after the ante round and after the match round. Allwinning player hands are paid according to a predetermined pay-table asdesired by a casino or operator of the game. Examples of pay tables arediscussed below. Each player hand will consist of three randomlysequentially dealt cards. The dealer will have a one card hand.

While the game may be played in many forms, one preferred embodiment ofthe invention is played in a casino at a playing table with a dealer andup to seven players standard playing cards are randomized, for exampleeither using an electronic card shuffling device conventional in the artwhich mechanically shuffles physical playing cards or by a dealermanually shuffling the playing cards.

The game can be played as follows:

-   -   a. At least one player makes an ante wager and a match wager to        initiate a game. The player may also place an optional side bet        wager and an optional bonus wager;    -   b. A dealer deals the randomized cards as follows. The dealer        sequentially deals the at least one player a first card face up,        a second card face up, and a third card face up, and then deals        a single card down for the dealer;    -   c. The dealer reveals the face down dealer card;    -   d. The dealer compares the side bet wager to the single dealer        card to determine if the player's side bet wager is a winner. If        so, the dealer pays the player's side bet wager according to a        predetermined pay table. If the player's side bet wager is not a        winner, the dealer takes the side bet wager;    -   e. The dealer compares the bonus wager to the single dealer card        and the at least one player three card hand to determine if the        player's bonus wager is a winner. If so, the dealer pays the        player's bonus wager according to a predetermined pay table. If        the player's bonus wager is not a winner, the dealer takes the        bonus wager;    -   f. The dealer compares the ante wager to the single dealer card        and the at least one player three card hand to determine if the        player's ante wager is a winner. If so, the dealer pays the        player's ante wager according to a predetermine pay table. If        the player's ante wager is not a winner, the dealer takes the        ante wager; and    -   g. The dealer compares the match wager to the single dealer card        and the at least one player three card hand to determine if the        player's match wager is a winner. If so, the dealer pays the        player's match wager according to a predetermined pay table. If        the player's match wager is not a winner, the dealer takes the        match wager.

In an alternative form, the present invention may be played as either ascratch off lottery game or as a lottery draw game version. For example,one variation of the present invention can be played as a lotteryinstant game commonly referred to as a “scratch off”. Typically a playerwill read the directions printed on the lottery scratch off ticket andscratch off the entire play area. Winning tickets are predetermined andcan be validated by scanners located at the point of sale. Severalvariations of the present game can be transformed into lottery scratchoff games. Each version of the scratch offs will have specificinstructions on how to play as well as predetermined prize structures. Apredetermined amount (Run) of tickets is printed within eachparticipating state. For example, for a $5 lottery instant ticket, therun or print total is usually 2 million tickets @ $5 per ticket for atotal print value of $10 million.

With regard to a lottery draw game, the present game may be played as amodification of conventional lottery draw games. For example, typicallya lottery draw game is played multiple times a week and is sponsored byor conducted by states or municipalities. A predetermined window of timefor ticket sales is established by a lottery commission (responsible forrunning the lottery) as well as ticket price and prize structure. In thelottery draw game scenario the present game would be played by playerspurchasing tickets and getting randomly generated tickets that containthree randomly selected cards from six standard decks of fifty twoplaying cards. At the conclusion of ticket sales for any particulardraw, one dealer card will be drawn randomly by the lottery to determinewinners/non winners in both the match portion of the game as well as thesuit marketing portion of the game in accordance with this disclosure.Winning tickets will be redeemed at this time and non-winning ticketscan be discarded. Prizes will come from a predetermined pay table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will be had uponreference to the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a method of playing the card game inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a playing table containing seven player areas, and a dealerarea containing designated areas for chips, and the dealer card.

FIG. 3 shows the detail of a portion of one of the seven player areasshown in FIG. 1, showing a portion of the player area containing adesignated area for the four player wagers (side bet, bonus, ante andmatch wagers) and the player's area also contains a designated area forthe player's dealt cards.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of another method of playing a game as anaddition to casino style blackjack in accordance with another aspect ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a playing table containing seven player areas, and a dealerarea containing designated areas for chips, for use in playing the gameof the method of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6-8 shows examples of playing the game as a lottery instant game.

FIG. 9 shows an example of playing the game in addition to blackjack asa lottery instant game.

FIG. 10 shows a logo for the game “suitz” in accordance with the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11 shows the logo for the game 21+suitz.

FIG. 12 shows the logo for the suitz side bet.

FIG. 13 a depicts an exemplary user interface of a video game version ofthe present invention in accordance with another aspect the presentdisclosure and FIG. 13 b depicts a home computer implementation of thegame.

FIG. 14 shows another aspect of the video game version in accordancewith the present card game.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart of another method of playing the game as videogame in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart of a method of playing an instant lottery gamein accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present game will now be described with reference to the figures andin particular to FIGS. 1-3 which are directed to one method of playing acard game in accordance with the present invention. Referringspecifically to FIG. 1, the game is played in accordance with the stepsof method 10, in which the game can be played by several players, forexample up to seven plus a dealer. A dealer shuffles (either manually orvia automatic mechanical card shuffler known in the art) or is otherwiseprovided with pre-shuffled, random playing cards, and places into a cardshoe several decks of standard fifty-two card playing cards, e.g. fourdecks (step 15). One or more of the players make one or more wagers(step 20). Possible wagers include an (a) ante wager, (b) match wager,(c) side bet wager and/or (d) bonus wager (step 20), as will bediscussed further below. The dealer sequentially deals each player threecards face up from the card shoe (step 30). The dealer then deals thedealer one card face down (step 30). The dealer then reveals the single,dealer card, turning over the originally face down card (step 40). Thedealer is initially dealt the card face down to create a few seconds ofdrama and excitement for the players. Final determination of the dealercard being dealt face up or down would be at the discretion of eachparticipating casino or person or entity practicing the presentmethod/game.

The dealer compares a side bet wager to the dealer card to determine ifone or more player(s) side bet wager is a winner. The side bet wagerpays 2-1 for winning wagers that correctly pick the suit of the dealer'sinitially single, dealt face up card (i.e. dealer up card).

Next, the dealer compares each player(s)′ three card hand to the dealerto see if any of the players have a bonus wager winner (step 60). Thedealer will then pay or take the player(s) winning/losing bonus wagers(step 60) as follows: three suited aces that match dealercard—1,000,000-1, three suited 2's through kings that match dealercard—100,000-1, three random aces that match dealer ace—1,000-1, threerandom 2's through kings that match dealer 2 through King—500-1, twosuited exact matches of the dealer card—100-1 and one suited exact matchof the dealer card—10-1.

Next, the dealer compares each player(s) three card hand to the dealerto see if any of the player(s) ante wager is a winner and then pays ortakes the winning/losing ante wagers from the players (step 70). Antewager pay table pays: one card of a higher rank in the same suit as thedealer card—1-1, two cards of a higher rank in the same suit as thedealer card 3-1 and three cards of a higher rank in the same suit as thedealer card—5-1.

Finally, the dealer compares each player(s) three card hand to thedealer to see if any of the players match wager is a winner andsubsequently pays or takes the player(s) winning/losing match wagers(step 80). The match wager pays as follows: one exact suited match ofthe dealer card—10-1, two exact suited matches of the dealer card—40-1,three exact suited matches of the dealer card—200-1, one non-suitedmatch of the dealer card—2-1, two non-suited matches of the dealercard—10-1, three non-suites matches of the dealer card—30-1, any suitedthree of a kind in the player(s) hand that does not match the dealercard—50-1, any three of a kind in the player(s) hand that does not matchthe dealer card—20-1, one suited match plus one non-suited match of thedealer card—20-1, one suited match of the dealer card plus twonon-suited matches of the dealer card—50-1, two suited matches plus onenon-suited match of the dealer card—100-1, one suited match of thedealer card plus any one pair—20-1, one non-suited match of the dealercard plus any one pair—5-1 and one random pair in the player(s)hand—1-1.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 2 shows a table where the card gameof the present invention could be played, for example, at a casino. Thetable includes an area for the dealer and a plurality of individualplayer areas. FIG. 3 shows expanded detail of a portion of the playerarea. The top of the table is usually a felt material having printingthereon. As shown this table has seven player areas. FIG. 2 shows thatthe dealer area includes a location where the dealer keeps chips. As istypical in the casino environment, the dealer has available a pluralityof different color chips, for example, white, pink, red, green, black,and purple, each different colored chip having a different monetaryvalue.

The dealer area also includes a game area, and a dealer card area. Thegame area includes a game identifying logo e.g. “SUITZ”. The dealer handarea is simply a marked place where the dealer card will be placed.

As previously stated, FIG. 2 shows that up to seven individual playerscan play at each table. Each player area has a felt marked portion. Theplayer area also has a designated portion for the delivery of theplayer(s) cards. In each player(s) portion is a specified betting areafor a side bet wager, ante wager, and match wager. Closer to the dealerarea located above each player area is a specified betting area for theplayer(s) bonus wager. For the player(s) side bet wager each of the fourcard suits will be represented in the player area specifically markedside bet wager with the identifying logo e.g. “SUITZ SIDE BET”. For theplayer(s) bonus wager there will be a specified area on the table markedbonus wager. For the player(s) ante wager there will be a specified areaon the table marked ante wager where the player identifies a suit. Forthe player(s) match wager there will be a specified area on the tablemarked match wager. Located in the table play area will be an example ofeach pay table that is specific for the side bet wager, the bonus betwager, the ante wager, and the match wager. Side bet wager pays 2-1 forwinning wagers that correctly pick the suit of the dealer card.

Side bet wager pays 2-1 for winning wagers that correctly pick the suitof the dealer card. Bonus wager pay table pays as shown in the followingTable 1:

TABLE 1 Criteria Payout 3 suited aces that match dealer card1,000,000-1    3 suited 2's thru kings that match dealer card100,000-1    3 random aces that match dealer ace 1,000-1   3 random 2'sthru kings that match dealer 2 500-1 through King 2 suited exact matchesof the dealer card 100-1 1 suited exact match of the dealer card  10-1

Ante wager pay Table 2 pays:

TABLE 2 Criteria Payout 1 card of a higher rank in the same suit as thedealer card 1-1 2 cards of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealercard 3-1 3 cards of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealer card5-1

Match wager pay Table 3 pays:

TABLE 3 Criteria Payout one exact suited match of the dealer card 10-1two exact suited matches of the dealer card 40-1 three exact suitedmatches of the dealer card 200-1  two non-suited matches of the dealercard 10-1 one non-suited match of the dealer card  2-1 Any suited threeof a kind in the player(s) hand that does 50-1 not match the dealer cardthree non-suites matches of the dealer card 30-1 any three of a kind inthe player(s) hand that does 20-1 not match the dealer card one suitedmatch plus one non-suited match of the dealer card 20-1 one suited matchplus one non-suited match of the dealer card 20-1 one suited match ofthe dealer card plus two non-suited matches 50-1 of the dealer card twosuited matches plus one non-suited match of the dealer card 100-1  onesuited match of the dealer card plus any one pair 20-1 one non-suitedmatch of the dealer card plus any one pair  5-1 one random pair in theplayer(s) hand  1-1

The above listed pay Tables 1-3 are examples. Actual or alternative paytables may vary at individual casinos.

Method of Preferred Play Example 1

Method 10 (FIG. 1) will be described in more detail, with reference tothe following Example 1. Four standard 52 card decks of playing cardsare randomly shuffled and placed into a dealing shoe (step 15). Thedealing shoe can be any one conventionally used in casinos. One half ofone deck is cut from play by the dealer (step 15). This results in threeand one half decks for play. The dealer burns the first card from theshoe by placing the card into the discard rack. The game now startsafter at least one player places an ante wager and a match wager toinitiate a new game (step 20). Individual casino or house rules can setcasino minimum and maximum wagers.

The dealer, deals cards sequentially, one at a time, from left to rightto a specified area of the table layout, face up until eachparticipating player has three cards (step 30). The dealer then dealsthe next card, face down, from the shoe to an area designated dealercard (step 30). The dealer then turns over and expose the dealer card(step 40).

The dealer compares dealer card to player(s) hand(s) that placed a wageron the optional side bet (step 50). The object for the player(s) to winthe side bet is to correctly pick the suit of the dealer card. In oneexample, a player places a wager on the side bet by placing a chip (thatmeets the table minimum and maximum requirements set forth by thecasino) on hearts (step 20). Dealer card is a heart and winning side betwagers are then paid 2-1 by the dealer (step 50). Non-winning side betwagers are then taken by the dealer (step 50).

The dealer then checks for winning bonus wagers for the player(s) thatplaced a wager (that meets the table minimum and maximum requirementsset forth by the casino) on the optional bonus bet (step 60). Theplayer(s) win(s) the bonus wager if one or more cards have an exactnumerical match to the dealer card or a suited match of one or more ofthe player(s) three card hand to the dealer card. For example, player(s)hand contains the 10 of hearts, Jack of spades, and 2 of diamonds. Thedealer card is the 10 of hearts. Player has one exact suited numericalmatch and that player will win 10-1 on his or her bonus wager (step 60).Winning player(s) bonus wagers are now paid according to thepredetermined pay table printed on the table layout (step 60).Non-winning bonus wagers are also taken at this time by the dealer (step60).

The dealer then checks for winning player(s) ante wagers (Step 70). Theplayer(s) win the ante wager if one or more cards in the player(s) threecard hand are of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealer card. Forexample, dealer card is the 7 of diamonds and a player hand contains the6 of spades, King of clubs, and 9 of diamonds. The player(s) 9 ofdiamonds is of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealer card whichis the 7 of diamonds. Player(s) with one card of a higher rank in thesame suit as the dealer card are paid according to a predetermined paytable printed on the layout which is 1-1 on the player(s) ante wager.Player(s) having two cards in their three card hand of a higher rank inthe same suit as the dealer card are paid 3-1, and if all three cards inthe player(s) hand are of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealercard the player(s) will win 5-1 on said player(s) ante wager (step 70).

The dealer now checks for winning player(s) match wagers (step 80). Theplayer(s) to win the match wager is to match at least one of theplayer(s) three cards to the dealer card or have a non-matching pair orany suited three of a kind, or any non-suited three of a kind in theplayer(s) three card hand for example, the dealer card is the Jack ofhearts. Player(s) three card hand is the Jack of hearts, Jack of spades,and Jack of diamonds. The player(s) hand has a winning match wager thatpays the player 50-1 for having one exact suited numerical match, andtwo non-suited numerical matches in the players three card hand (step80). Match pay tables are printed on the table layout for all player(s)to see. Although the pay tables shown in FIG. 3 have specific values,the values can be used at the discretion or desire of the individualcasinos.

In an alternative form of playing the game of method 10, rather thanbeing played as a casino table game with physical playing cards, thegame of method 10 can be played in a video, electronic form whichincludes but is not limited to a standalone video casino game, a gameplayed on a personal computer, a PDA, a smart phone, tablet computer,personal electronic device, game console, etc. The aforementioneddevices may be connected to a central server via the Internet in orderfor the user to play the game. Alternatively, the video game version canbe completely standalone and not require the electronic device beconnected to a central server.

One casino style video game unit is shown in FIG. 13 a and a homecomputer or personal device implementation embodiment is shown in FIG.13 b. In both embodiments of FIGS. 13 a and 13 b, the devices include aprocessor, memory, video display and optional network connectivity toconnect the electronic device to a central server.

FIG. 14 depicts a user interface that may be used in both theenvironments of FIG. 13 a and FIG. 13 b. However, alternative visuallayout and designs are possible and adaptable as one would understandand use in accordance with the rules of the present game and the method10.

Referring specifically to FIG. 14, an interactive video screen is shownfor a video gaming machine (e.g. FIGS. 13 a and 13 b) that has multiplegames such as casino style video versions of card games. Advantageously,as discussed above, the video game machine of FIG. 13 a and the personalelectronic device (FIG. 13 b) are connected to a central server. In thevideo version, a computer represents a dealer and a player can playeither directly against the computer/dealer or multiple simulatedplayers can play along with the human player against the house/computerdealer.

As shown in FIG. 14, the present video game implementation of thepresent game can be part of a multi-game interface of games in which allcomponents of the present method are incorporated into a computersystem. The computer system will be understood by one of ordinary skillin the art, based on the present disclosure, suitable for performing thegame of method 10. Players can select the present game from a list ofavailable games. A player can be presented with instructions on how toplay the present game. The video version of the present game is playedsimilar to that of the casino version described above with regard toFIG. 1 in which a computer acts as the dealer and performs all of thesame tasks that the dealer. Winning wagers are recognized and duecredits are added to a player's credit total. Non-winning wagers aresubtracted from a player's credit total.

Players can make all of the same wagers that could be made in a casinoversion as described above with regard to method 10. The host centralserver computer acts as the dealer and complete game information enteredinto the central server will determine the random outcome for each hand.Winning wagers will be rewarded by credits applied to their credittotals and non-winning wagers will have credits deducted from theircredit total.

In an alternative to the video game version requiring the electronicdevice be connected to a central computer, the present game can beplayed as a stand-alone game in which a player plays for personalentertainment but the player's electronic device does not necessarilyneed to be connected to a central server. Accordingly, players would notreceive redeemable credits. If the electronic device is a personaldevice having network connectivity, players can access the Internet tovisit an online gaming site. Players can purchase credits for wager atthe online gaming site. Players can select the present game from a listof other available online games.

Referring now to FIG. 15, in method 200, a player accesses a host orserver computer via the Internet using any suitable electronic device(step 210). A player can purchase wager credits (step 220). A playerthen wagers on the game (step 230). Randomly generated cards areprovided to the players and the dealer (step 240). Winning wagers arerecognized and credits are added to each players total credits (step250). Non-winning wagers are recognized and credits are deducted fromplayer's credit total (step 260). In an alternative form to method 200,rather than accessing the Internet (step 210), the electronic deviceperforms all sets without being connected to a host computer, all otheraspects are the same as method 200. However, no actual cash value is wonor lost. Payment can be made using a credit card, online bank account orother commerce methods currently known or developed in the future.

Incorporation into a Casino Style Blackjack Example 2

In an alternative form the game may be incorporated into a casino styleblackjack game. Referring now to method 100 of FIG. 4, severalfifty-two—card decks are shuffled, for example six or eight standardfifty-two-card decks to produce a randomly shuffled arrangement whichare placed in a dealing shoe (step 115). Players can make a blackjackwager which initiates the game (step 120). The players make additionalbets in the form of side bet wager, ante wager, match wager or anycombination of the three (step 120).

The dealer then sequentially deals each player, two cards, face up, andthe dealer deals the dealer one card face up and one card face down(step 130). If none of the players places an optional side bet, antebet, or match wager (step 120), the game proceeds to step 180 and playcontinues like a traditional casino style blackjack game known to one ofordinary skill in the art (step 190).

Should one or more players make an optional bet (step 120), the dealercompares the player's side bet wager to the dealer's face up card todetermine if the side bet wager is a winner (step 150) as in method 10,step 50. Players which wager to correctly predict the suit of the dealerup card by placing a chip on one or more of the four different suits(hearts, clubs, diamonds or spades) represented on the table laid out ina specific location in the player area (step 120). Winning side betwagers are paid 2-1, and losing side bet wagers are taken by the dealer(step 150). The dealer will now compare the dealer up card with the atleast one player(s) optional ante wager (step 150). As with the game ofmethod 10, the object of winning the optional ante wager is for one orboth of the at least one player(s) two cards be of a higher rank in thesame suit as the dealer up card. If one card in the player(s) two cardhand is a higher rank in the same suit as the dealer up card the antewager pays 2-1 (step 170). If both cards in the player(s) hand are ahigher rank in the same suit as the dealer up card the winning antewager pays 5-1 (step 170). The dealer will take losing ante wagers (step170).

The dealer will now compare the dealer up card to the at least oneplayer(s) optional match wager to see if the player(s) has a winningmatch wager (step 180). Again, like the game of method 10, the object ofwinning the optional match wager is for one or both of the player(s) twocards to be an exact suited numerical match to the dealer up card or ifone or both of the player(s) two cards are a non suited numerical matchto the dealer up card or a combination of both scenarios (step 180). Theplayer(s) may also win the optional match wager by having any randompair in the player(s) two card hand that does not match the dealer upcard (step 180). The optional match wager pays the player(s) for oneexact suited match of the dealer up card 10-1, two exact suited matchesof the dealer up card 50-1 (step 180). One exact suited match of thedealer up card plus one numerical match of the dealer up card 20-1 (step180). The optional match wager pays the player(s) for having two nonsuited numerical matches of the dealer up card 15-1 (step 180). Theoptional match wager pays the player(s) for having one non-suitednumerical match of the dealer up card 2-1 (step 180). The optional matchwager pays the player(s) for having any random pair that does not matchthe dealer up card 1-1 (step 180).

As with method 10, and its associated Example 1 above, the previouslymentioned pay table is an example that may vary depending on eachindividual casino.

Finally, at step 190, the player(s) will now play the standard regularcasino blackjack portion of the game. For example, the Blackjack can beany traditional game of 21 played at casinos in Las Vegas or AtlanticCity, and modified by house rules, dealer stays on hits on 16, or theuse of only two decks of cards in the shoe.

Instant Lottery Version Example 3

Referring now to FIGS. 6-9, in yet another form of the presentinvention, the game may be incorporated into a lottery style scratch offinstant game. In particular, FIGS. 6-8 show ways in which the method ofthe game 10 can be incorporated into an instant lottery game and FIG. 9is an example of how the game 10 can be incorporated into a lotteryinstant game.

Specifically referring to FIGS. 6-8, and referring to the flow chart ofFIG. 16, in one form, the present method can be incorporated into aninstant lottery ticket game, identified as method 300 (FIG. 16). Initialsetup of an instant lottery ticket system includes selection of specificartwork designed for the instant lottery tickets and value of eachticket (step 310). Advantageously, a computer program is written foradministering a lottery instant ticket system that determines percentageof winning/non-winning tickets as well as the overall prize structure.Prize structure can either be predetermined or random among a run oftickets.

The prize structure the present Suitz instant lottery tickets (“scratchoffs”) is predetermined and ultimately at the discretion of aparticipating lottery group implementing an instant lottery game.

In general using a $5 instant ticket as an example the overall odds ofthe player winning something is approximately 1 in 4. Players can winanything from a free ticket up to a top prize of $40,000. For higherdenomination tickets the top prize can be as high as $250,000 for a $20instant ticket or as low as $5000 for a $1 instant ticket. Again using a$5 ticket as an example, the predetermined prize structure would includeprizes that range from:

$40,000$500$250$100$50$40$25$20$10$5

Free Ticket

The tickets are generated from a computer program that accounts for allwinning prizes. Example; two million $5 tickets are printed with apresale value of $10,000,000.

5.7 million dollars (57%) will be returned to the players in the form ofwinning tickets that will range from a free ticket up to and includingthe $40,000 winners. 4.3 million (43%) is the gross profit for thelottery on that particular ticket. Also deducted from the gross profitare the manufacturing cost for printing the tickets and marketing andadvertising costs for the game. Additionally, the 1% fee lotteryretailers receive for cashing winning tickets will come out of the 43%.

Instructions for playing the various forms of an instant lottery game,as disclosed, is printed on the respective lottery tickets, for exampleas shown in FIG. 6-8. A player purchases a ticket (step 310, FIG. 16)and then can read the instructions printed on the ticket (step 320).Initially all playing cards shown on the respective tickets of FIGS. 6-8will be covered. A player then scratches off the covering over theticket to reveal all playing cards printed on the lottery ticket asshown in FIGS. 6-8 (step 330).

In one implementation, instant tickets can be printed for a specificstate lottery or municipality. Instant lottery tickets can bedistributed to lottery retailers on an as needed basis. As withconventional lottery tickets, they can be sold at lottery retailers andwinning lottery tickets are redeemed at local retailers. Non-winningtickets can be discarded.

Referring now to method 300 of FIG. 16 in more detail, a playerpurchases lottery tickets from lottery retailers (step 310). A playerunfamiliar with the game can read instructions printed on each ticket onhow to play the game (step 320). A player scratches off the entireplaying area of the instant lottery ticket (step 330). Next a playercompares his or her ticket with a detailed instruction to see if theticket is a winning ticket (step 340). A player can then redeem awinning ticket at any lottery retailer (step 350). Optionally, winningtickets having large winning prizes may be optionally redeemed only atspecific locations such as a lottery office (step 360).

Instant Lottery Game with Blackjack Example 4

Referring now to FIG. 9, Player buys/purchases one of the presentinstant lottery suit match blackjack (scratch off) tickets for apredetermined price (step 310), example $5. Players can win up to 15times on one ticket. Prizes can range from a free ticket up to $40,000.

On each game ticket there are seven player hands, each with two cardsnumbered player hand one to player hand seven. There are two dealercards labeled dealer up card and dealer down card. There is also a bonussection that has one random card.

If the bonus card is an exact match to the “Dealer up card” the playerwill win the prize shown for the bonus.

Example; Dealer up card is the eight of diamonds and the bonus card isalso the eight of diamonds, player wins prize shown for the bonussection of the game ticket.

If the bonus card and the dealer up card are not an exact match theplayer does not win the bonus.

Player will now scratch off the entire play area of the game ticket thatincludes the seven player hands and the two dealer cards (step 330).Players have two chances of winning. If either one or both of the twoplayer cards in any one hand are of a higher rank in the same suit asthe dealer up card then the player will win prize shown for that hand.If both player cards in the same hand are of a higher rank in the samesuit as the dealer up card the player will win “Double” the prize shownfor that hand. Example; dealer up card is the eight of diamonds and inthe same player hand the two player cards are the king of diamonds andthe queen of diamonds the player will win “Double” the prize shown forthat hand.

Players now play traditional blackjack (Aces count as eleven) with theirtwo card hands against the dealers two card hand. If the sum total ofany player two card hand is higher in numerical value than the sum totalof the dealer two card hand, the player will win the prize shown forthat hand.

Example; Dealer hand contains the eight of spades and the ten of heartsfor a numerical value of eighteen. The player hand consists of king ofclubs and the jack of diamonds for a numerical value of twenty. Theplayer will win the prize shown for that hand.

Lottery Draw Game Example 5

Player purchases a lottery draw game ticket from a participating lotteryretailer, which implements this game, for a predetermined price.Example; $2 and receives a randomly generated ticket from a centralserver computer that contains a three card hand. For an additional $1wager on the same ticket the player will be eligible for a bonusscenario that could win the player up to one million dollars.

Because of the high volume of potential play the randomly generatedthree card hands will come from approximately 100,000 decks of virtualcards e.g. computer generated.

Players have two ways to win on their ticket and also a third way ifthey wagered the extra dollar to be eligible for the bonus.

Because this is a lottery draw game (i.e. tickets are generate, i.e.printed, by a lottery terminal known in the art, e.g. via lotteryterminals such terminals used for Powerball® and the like), tickets foreach draw will be sold for a predetermined amount of time. Tickets areusually sold up to five minutes before the next scheduled draw.

A single dealer card will be selected randomly by a lottery operatedcentral server computer to determine winners and non-winners for eachgame.

Players have two ways to win on each game ticket. Players may also havea third way to win if they elected to play the bonus as a separatewager.

Example; Players can win by having:

-   -   a. One, two, or three of their cards on any one line being of a        higher rank in the same suit as the dealer card.    -   b. One, two, or three numerical matches of the dealer card.    -   c. One, two or three suited numerical matches of the dealer        card.    -   d. Any pair or any three of a kind that does not match the        dealer card.

Players that wagered on the bonus can win up to one million dollars forhaving three suited matches of the dealer card. Example; player hasthree Aces of hearts that match a dealer ace of hearts.

All prizes will come from a predetermined pay table. The pay table caninclude the pay tables described in the disclosure with regard to themethod or game 10.

Alternative Casino Play Example 6

In an alternative casino style play to the one of Example 1, i.e. method10, Example 6 provides an alternative paytable and an additionalqualifying (winning) hand for the ante bet. As with method 10, the gameof Example 6 is played with four standard decks of 52 cards.

Up to seven players may play this version of the game at any time, inaddition to the dealer. Each player begins the game by placing up tofour wagers: the ante wager, the match wager, side bet wager and bonuswager. The ante and match wagers are mandatory, while the side bet andbonus wagers are optional. The side bet wager is made by placing a beton one of the four suit symbols on the table, while the other wagers areplaced in their designated, labeled space in front of the player. Onceall bets have been made, the dealer sequentially deals each player afirst card face up, a second card face up and a third card face up. Thena single card is dealt face down for the dealer. The dealer then revealsthe face down card and compares this single card to each set of theplayer's cards to see if any who have placed the side wager are winners.This wager pays 2 to 1 if the player has correctly placed the side beton the suit symbol matching the suit of the dealer's single card.

The dealer will then review the three-card hands of any player who hasplaced the bonus wager. This bet pays if the player has at least onecard that is the exact suit and rank of the dealer's. All winningcombinations and their corresponding pays for the bonus wager can befound in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Bonus Wager Pay Tables (Example 6) 50K One Million WinningCombination Bonus Bonus Three suited Aces that match the dealer card50000 1000000 Three suited 2's thru Kings that match the 25000 100000dealer card Three random Aces that match the dealer Ace 1000 1000 Threerandom 2's thru Kings that match the 500 500 dealer 2 thru Two suitedexact matches of the dealer card 300 100 One suited exact match of thedealer card 10 8 Other −1 −1

A more detailed description of the winning hands for the bonus bet is asfollows:

-   -   Three suited Aces that match the dealer card—The player hand        contains three Aces, which are in the same suit as the dealer's        Ace.    -   Three suited 2's thru Kings that match the dealer card—The        player hand contains a Three of a Kind, which is of the same        rank and in the same suit as the dealer's non-Ace card.    -   Three random Aces that match the dealer Ace—The player hand        contains three Aces. At least one Ace is not of the same suit as        the dealer's Ace.    -   Three random 2's thru Kings that match the dealer 2 thru        King—The player hand contains a Three of a Kind, which is of the        same rank as the dealer's non-Ace card. At least one card is not        of the same suit as the dealer card.    -   Two suited exact matches of the dealer card—The player hand        contains two cards in the same suit and of the same rank as the        dealer card.    -   One suited exact match of the dealer card—The player hand        contains one card in the same suit and of the same rank as the        dealer card.

After reconciling all bonus wagers, the dealer compares each player'sthree-card hand to the dealer's single card to determine if the antewager should be paid. The ante bet wins if the player has at least onecard that is of a higher rank and is in the same suit as the dealer'scard. The winning hands and their designated pays are shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 Ante Wager Pay Table (Example 6) Winning Combination Pay SuitedA, K, Q in Dealer Suit 100 Three cards of a higher rank in the same suitas the dealer 8 Two cards of a higher rank in the same suit as thedealer 4 One card of a higher rank in the same suit as the dealer 1Other −1

Finally, the dealer compares the three-card hand of each player to thedealer's face up card in order to resolve all match bets. The matchwager pays if the player's hand contains at least one non-suited matchof the dealer's card. Each winning match combination, as well as itscorresponding pay, is shown in Table 6.

TABLE 6 Match Wager Pay Table (Example 6) Winning Combination Pay Threeexact suited matches of the dealer card 100 Two suited matches plus onenon-suited match of the dealer card 40 Any suited Three of a Kind in theplayer(s) hand that does not 30 match the dealer One suited match of thedealer card plus two non-suited matches of 30 the dealer Two exactsuited matches of the dealer card 20 Three non-suited matches of thedealer card 20 Any Three of a Kind in the player(s) hand that does notmatch the 10 dealer card One suited match plus one non-suited match ofthe dealer card 10 One exact suited match of the dealer card 6 Twonon-suited matches of the dealer card 4 One non-suited match of thedealer card 1 Other −1

The above winning combinations are defined in greater detail below:

-   -   Three exact suited matches of the dealer card—The player hand        must contain any suited Three of a Kind of the same rank and in        the same suit as the single dealer card.    -   Two suited matches plus one non-suited match of the dealer        card—The player hand must contain a Three of a Kind of the same        rank as the dealer. Two of the cards must be in the same suit as        the dealer card, while the third is of a different suit.    -   Any suited Three of a Kind in the player(s) hand that does not        match the dealer card—The player hand contains a suited, Three        of a Kind of a different rank than the single dealer card. The        suit does not need to match the suit of the dealer card.    -   One suited match of the dealer card plus two non-suited matches        of the dealer card—The player hand contains a Three of a Kind of        the same rank as the dealer card. One of these three cards are        in the same suit as the single dealer card, while the remaining        two are of a different suits.    -   Two exact suited matches of the dealer card—The player hand        contains a suited pair of the same rank and in the same suit as        the dealer card. The third card is not of the same rank as the        dealer card. Suit does not matter for the third card.    -   Three non-suited matches of the dealer card—The player hand        contains a Three of a Kind of the same rank as the dealer card,        but none of the cards are of the same suit as the dealer card.    -   Any Three of a Kind in the player(s) hand that does not match        the dealer card        -   The player hand contains a Three of a Kind of a different            rank than the dealer card. Suit does not matter.    -   One suited match plus one non-suited match of the dealer        card—The player hand contains exactly two cards of the same rank        as the dealer card. One of these two cards is in the same suit        as the dealer card, while the other is not.    -   One exact suited match of the dealer card—The player hand        contains exactly one card of the same suit and in the same rank        as the dealer card. The remaining cards are not of the same rank        as the dealer card.    -   Two non-suited matches of the dealer card—The player hand        contains exactly two cards of the same rank as the dealer card,        but neither is in the same suit as the dealer card.    -   One non-suited match of the dealer card—The hand contains        exactly one card of the same rank as the dealer card. This card        is not in the same suit as the dealer card.

Only the highest outcome is paid per wager. All pays are X to 1.

Mathematical Analysis of the Game of Example 6

The math analysis for the game of Example 6 was performed usingprobability theory.

To compute the return of the side wager, the probability of eachpossible outcome is multiplied by the corresponding pay. Thecalculations are shown below in Table 7.

TABLE 7 Side Wager Combinations and Expected Values (Example 6) OutcomeHits Probability Expected Value Selected suit matches dealer card 10.25000000 0.50000000 Selected suit does not match dealer 3 0.75000000−0.75000000

Combining the expected values of all outcomes, the final House Edge forthe side bet is 25.0000%, which equates to a 75.0000% Return to Player.

Next, to calculate the return of the bonus wager, the probability ofreceiving each hand combination was computed and multiplied by itscorresponding pay. These calculations can be found in Table 8.

TABLE 8 Bonus Wager Combinations and Expected Values (Example 6)Expected Value - Expected Value - Hand Hits Probability 50K Bonus OneMillion Bonus 3 suited Aces that match the dealer card 16 0.000000050.00263989 0.052797878 3 suited 2's thru Kings that match 192 0.000000630.01583936 0.063357454 the dealer card 3 random Aces that match thedealer 7264 0.00002397 0.02397024 0.023970237 3 random 2's thru Kingsthat match 87168 0.00028764 0.14382142 0.143821421 the dealer 2 thruKing 2 suited exact matches of the dealer 119808 0.00039535 0.118605150.039535051 1 suited exact match of the dealer card 12826112 0.042324470.42324469 0.338595751 Other 290001920 0.95696788 −0.95696788−0.956967881

Adding together the expected values of all possible hand combinationsyields a House Edge of 22.8847%, or a 77.1153% Return to Player for the“50K Bonus” and a 70.5110% Return to Player, or 29.4890% House Edge forthe “One Million Bonus”.

Finally, the return for the base game of Example 6 is computed byconsidering both the returns of the ante wager and match wager. Theprobability of all possible hand types for each of these wagers ismultiplied by its corresponding pay. A summary of these calculations areshown in Table 9 and Table 10.

TABLE 9 Ante Combinations and Expected Values (Example 6) Hand HitsProbability Expected Value Suited A, K, Q in Dealer Suit 125440.00004139 0.00413935 Three cards of a higher rank in the same suit asthe dealer 946560 0.00312352 0.02498818 Two cards of a higher rank inthe same suit as the dealer 13673152 0.04511959 0.18047835 One card of ahigher rank in the same suit as the dealer 75187072 0.248107370.24810737 Other 213223152 0.70360813 −0.70360813

TABLE 10 Match Combinations and Expected Values (Example 6) Hand HitsProbability Expected Value Three exact suited matches of the dealer card208 0.00000069 0.00006864 Two suited matches plus one non-suited matchof the dealer card 7488 0.00002471 0.00098838 Any suited Three of a Kindin the player(s) hand that does 39936 0.00013178 0.00395351 One suitedmatch of the dealer card plus two non-suited 41184 0.00013590 0.00407705Two exact suited matches of the dealer card 119808 0.00039535 0.00790701Three non-suited matches of the dealer card 45760 0.00015100 0.00302004Any Three of a Kind in the player(s) hand that does not match 13578240.00448064 0.04480639 the dealer card One suited match plus onenon-suited match of the dealer 1437696 0.00474421 0.04744206 One exactsuited match of the dealer card 11441664 0.03775597 0.22653584 Twonon-suited matches of the dealer card 2635776 0.00869771 0.03479085 Onenon-suited match of the dealer card 45766656 0.15102390 0.15102390 Other240148480 0.79245814 −0.79245814

To compute the final return, the expected value for both the match andante wagers were computed separately. The values were then addedtogether to form an overall expected value for the base game and thisvalue was divided by the total wager. A summary of these calculationsand the overall return to player can be found in Table 11.

TABLE 11 Base Game Return Summary Match Expected Value −26.7844% AnteExpected Value −24.5895% Total Expected Value −51.7879% Total Wagers 2Return to Player 74.3130% House Edge 25.6870%

Summary of Example 6

Players who play the game of Example 6 will observe a Return to Playerof 74.313% on the initial bet, which considers the mandatory ante andmatch wagers placed by the player. This corresponds to a 25.6870% HouseEdge.

Since the side wager always has a house edge, it is not in the player'sinterest to place this bet. Players who place this bet can expect toreceive a Return to Player of 75.0000%, which equates to a 25.0000%House Edge.

Similarly, placing the bonus wager is typically not in the best interestof the player. Those who decide to place this bet will receive thehighest return of 77.1153% when playing the “50K Bonus” version. Thiscorresponds to a House Edge of 22.8847%. The house will receive the besthold of 29.4890% in the “One Million Bonus” version, yielding a 70.5110%Return to Player.

Alternative Incorporation into a Casino Style Blackjack Example 7

An alternative form of the game of Example 2 (a casino style blackjackgame), is provided in Example 7. Like Example 2, the game of Example 7is an optionally side bet available at any blackjack table configuredwith multiple decks such as six-decks.

Before cards are dealt, players place the underlying blackjack wager andoptionally can place additional bets in the form of a side bet wager orante wager or both.

After all wagers are placed, the dealer then sequentially deals witheach player two cards face up, and deals the dealer one card face up andone card face down in traditional blackjack fashion. If none of theplayers have placed an optional side bet or ante bet, the game proceedsfollowing traditional blackjack game play. Otherwise, the dealer willresolve any optional wagers that have been placed prior to blackjackgame play.

The dealer will resolve any side bet wagers that have been placed atthis time. The object of the side bet wager is to correctly wager on thesuit of the dealer up-card. If the player has correctly placed the sidebet on the suit of the dealer's card, the wager wins and is paid 2 to 1.All other outcomes result in a forfeit of the wager.

Next, the dealer will resolve any ante wagers that have been placed. Theobject of the ante wager is for the player's cards to at least be in thesame suit as the dealer card. These pays are illustrated here in Table12. All pays are X to 1, meaning the original wager is returned.

TABLE 12 Ante Wager Paytable (Example 7) Outcome Pay A-A Suited thatmatches the dealer up card suit 50 A-K Suited that matches the dealer upcard suit 40 2-2 Suited thru K-K Suits that matches the deal up card 40A in the same suit as dealer up card 5 2 Cards in the same suit as thedealer up card suit 3 Others −1

After the ante wager has been resolved, traditional blackjack playcontinues.

Mathematical Analysis of the Game of Example 7

The math analysis for all bets of Example 7 was performed theoreticallyusing probability. The analyses of the bets are demonstrated in Table 13for the suit side bet and Table 14 for the ante wager.

TABLE 13 Side Bet Analysis (Example 7) Outcome Probability Pay ExpectedValue Win 0.25 2 0.50 Lose 0.75 −1 −0.75

This results in a Return to Player (RTP) of an even 75% and a House Edge(HE) of 25%.

TABLE 14 Ante Wager Analysis (Example 7) Outcome Probability PayExpected Value A-A Suited that matches the dealer upcard suit 0.0006063850 0.03031923 A-K suited that matches the dealer upcard suit 0.0007276640 0.02910646 2-2 Suited thru K-K Suits that matches the deal up card0.00727662 40 0.29106460 A in the same suit as dealer up card 0.036756485 0.18378240 2 Cards in the same suit as the dealer up card suit0.04408416 3 0.13225248 Others 0.91054870 −1 −0.91054870

This results in a RTP of 75.5976% and a HE of 24.4024%.

Additionally, the bets were analyzed to assess susceptibly tocard-counting at the 50% and 75% penetration level. For eachcard-counting analysis, the game was simulated to generate random cardcompositions over the course of a 6-deck shoe. For each cardcomposition, the optimal wager was calculated, based on completeinformation about the cards revealed to the players up to the time ofthe wager. It was assumed that the card-counting player would place theoptimal side wager only when there is a positive player advantage, andwould sit out otherwise. Because the deck compositions are statisticallysampled, the reported figures should be understood to contain a smallamount of statistical error. A summary of these results is found belowin Table 15 and Table 16.

TABLE 15 Side Bet Card Counting Results (Example 7) Penetration Level50.0000% 75.0000% Player Winnings Per Game Played 3.0256% 6.5407%Average Player Winnings Per 0.0005% 0.0739% Frequency of Play 0.0174%1.1294%

TABLE 16 Ante Bet Card Counting Results (Example 7) Penetration Level50.0000% 75.0000% Player Winnings Per Game Played 0.0000% 0.6587%Average Player Winnings Per 0.0000% 0.0001% Frequency of Play 0.0000%0.0218%

Summary of Example 7

Since the version of the game of Example 7 is a side bet with a HouseEdge, players should not place the side bets as it would reduce thereturn on the underlying blackjack wager. Should players elect to placea wager of the game of Example 7, a player would see the best returnwhen placing the ante wager with a Return to Player percentage of75.5976%, equivalent to a House Edge of 24.4024%. The house will observethe best hold when players place the side wager, resulting in a 25%House Edge, or a 75% Return to Player.

Card counting analysis for the side bet showed a 0.0174% frequency ofplay, corresponding to playing 1 in 5742 games at the 50% penetrationlevel. At the 75% level, the frequency of play was 1.1294%,corresponding to placing a wager 1 in 89 games. The ante bet cardcounting analysis showed no games where it would be in the interest ofthe player to bet at the 50% level, and the 0.0218% frequency of play atthe 75% level corresponds to a player placing this wager 1 in 4595games. Thus, although the card counting analysis did indicate there maybe games where the card-counting player could take advantage of the21+Suitz bets, the infrequency of the occurrences shows that overall thegame is not susceptible to card counting.

It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosedsubject matter can be changed without departing from the scope of thesubject matter disclosed herein. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptionis for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose oflimitation.

1. A method of playing a card game, comprising: a. receiving an antewager and a match wager from at least one player; b. optionallyreceiving an optional bonus wager and or an optional side bet wager fromthe at least one player; c. dealing the at least one player a first,second, and third playing card from randomized standard playing cards,face up then deals the dealer one card face down; d. comparing thedealer card to the at least one player three card hand for the optionalside bet wager, the optional bonus wager, the ante wager, and the matchwager; e. paying the at least one player if the player's three card handmeets the combination specified on a payment table for the optional sidewager, the optional bonus wager, the ante wager, and the match wager;and f. taking the side bet wager, the bonus wager, the ante wager, andthe match wager if the player's three card hand does not meet thecombination specified on a payment table.
 2. The method of playing thecard game of claim 1, wherein a dealer deals from a standard fifty-twocard deck, having fours suits, each suit having thirteen cards having,in an order from low to high, a value of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.
 3. The method of playing the card game ofclaim 1, wherein a dealer deals card from a shoe of four decks of cards.4. A method of playing a card game, comprising: a. receiving an antewager and a match wager from at least one player; b. optionallyreceiving an optional bonus wager and or an optional side bet wager fromthe at least one player; c. deals the at least one player a first andsecond card face up and then deals the dealer one card face down and onecard face up; d. comparing the dealer card to the at least one playerthree card hand for the optional side bet wager, the optional bonuswager, the ante wager, and the match wager; e. paying the at least oneplayer if the player's three card hand meets the combination specifiedon a payment table for the optional side wager, the optional bonuswager, the ante wager, and the match wager; and f. taking the side betwager, the bonus wager, the ante wager, and the match wager if theplayer's three card hand does not meet the combination specified on apayment table; and g. commencing playing blackjack.